ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has demolished part of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central Secretariat in Islamabad due to “violations of building rules,” sparking strong condemnation from the Imran Khan-founded party.
In a statement, the CDA announced that its anti-encroachment team launched an operation late Thursday to address illegal construction and encroachment. The operation commenced at around 11:30 PM and concluded an hour later.
The CDA’s operation concluded with the sealing of the PTI Central Secretariat and the posting of the demolition order on the premises.
The CDA specified that the encroachment involved a plot allotted to a person named Sartaj Ali and noted that an additional floor had been constructed in violation of building regulations. Despite issuing multiple notices to the party, the CDA said these warnings were ignored.
As the operation proceeded, PTI Secretary-General Omar Ayub called on party workers to immediately gather at the secretariat, condemning the government’s actions as “illegal and unjust.”
He asserted that the CDA had failed to provide any documentation for the operation, claiming that PTI would have addressed the encroachments if they had been properly notified.
Speaking to the media outside the office, Ayub vehemently criticized the late-night operation, vowing to raise the issue in the assembly. He drew a stark comparison between the CDA’s actions and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, describing the operation as an attack on the party’s rights.
During the process, PTI activists resisted, resulting in the arrest of several party workers by the city authorities. Additionally, PTI leader Amir Mughal was detained during the crackdown.
